Just how good is 4 wheel drive

[cdaigle430]

I've never had the luxury of owning a 4x4 tractor, but I assume it must be the cat's meow. My truck is a totally different beast when the 4x4 is engaged. It's gotta make a huge difference on a tractor too, I'd imagine.

With 2 wheel drive and a loader, it's nearly impossible for me to reverse up hill. I'm always getting stuck in little gofer holes and ditches. Muddy slopes? Not a chance. I even slide down hills in gear when mowing a steep section of my property.

How much does 4x4 change your life?? Let's hear some stories from the other side.

I think it depends on what you use it for. I am a 4x4 guy so everything I own on wheels must be 4 wheel or AWD. Its worth the extra $$ in my opinion. My wifes car is front wheel drive with studded tires all around in winter and she prefers to drive my AWD Jeep Grand Cherokee in the winter. I think a front wheel drive with studded tires is very capable-stops better than my Jeep does on slippery roads.

That being said-with a 4x4 if you get stuck your stuck bad.

 

[k0ua]

Yes this happens to me on my steepest hill. My wheels loose traction and I slide down basically every time. No load in bucket just mowing.

I want to make sure it's safer in 4x4?? I was thinking that maybe, it's like driving in snow, where if you slam on your brakes, your front tires grab better than the rears and your rear end wants to swing around sideways.

Does that not happen?

It never has with me. I believe 4wd is much safer descending hills.

 

[/pine]

Yes this happens to me on my steepest hill. My wheels loose traction and I slide down basically every time. No load in bucket just mowing.

I want to make sure it's safer in 4x4?? I was thinking that maybe, it's like driving in snow, where if you slam on your brakes, your front tires grab better than the rears and your rear end wants to swing around sideways.

Does that not happen?

No brakes on the front...4x4 is the only way to keep the front wheels from freewheeling if the rears break traction...
The front wheels being engaged (4WD) helps prevent the rears from losing traction...

 

[ericm979]

Having braking on the front is better than locking the nearly tractionless rear tires and sliding down the hill.

 

[MHarryE]

Not getting stuck is one thing but larger tractors like ag tractors for tillage - 4wd is much better for efficiency. Example - pull into a field, lower implement, and start off. Then engage front wheels and the difference between my gps speed and tractor ground speed based on tire rotation jump to near equal meaning a lot less slippage. Also people being forgetful, most larger tractors now have 4 auto that disengages the front wheels that you forgot when pulling out onto the road. My largest also has auto diff lock that disengages when the steering tires reach a certain angle. They also make the auto switch on the highway going into 4wd when you hit the brakes insuring 4 wheel braking on the highway, important when pulling heavy implements. Our largest grain cart weighs 60,000 pounds loaded so I need all the braking possible.

 

[k0ua]

Just so that some "newbies" might fully understand, there are NO brake pads of any kind on the front hubs/axle of any CUT or SCUT size tractor. There may or may not be on some huge tractors. But in any case you actually do achieve front axle braking by pressing on the brake pedal as long as the tractor has 4WD engaged. This is achieved by the fact the front axle is solidly connected via gears and propellor shaft to the rear axle where there actually are braking components. So when the back axle slow down and braking is applied that braking force is transferred to the front axle as well by that mechanical connection. Of course the front braking action is never going "override" the rears because the brakes are actually on the rear axle.

If you are in 2WD, of course pressing on the brake pedal does nothing to slow down the front axle as it is no longer connected in any way to the rear axle.

I hope that made sense.

 

[Agvg]

Yes this happens to me on my steepest hill. My wheels loose traction and I slide down basically every time. No load in bucket just mowing.

I want to make sure it's safer in 4x4?? I was thinking that maybe, it's like driving in snow, where if you slam on your brakes, your front tires grab better than the rears and your rear end wants to swing around sideways.

Does that not happen?

On slower tractors with front brakes the front brakes are simply automatic engagement of the 4WD, never heard of any problems. Of course at high speed things are different, ABS are starting to be an issue. But in the tractors we are talking about here you better manually engage your 4WD before going down hill.

 

[chas0218]

We had a 2wd ford 4000 with chains on the rear and CaCl loaded. I don't think anything stopped that tractor. We buried our old JD 450 dozer to the belly pan and this guy at the ripe old age of 12 pulled that dozer out like nothing just had to mind the brakes and ready the clutch. The MX5200 we have does as much work but I think it could really benefit from loaded tires. That Ford always felt planted but that Kubota had on more than 1 occasion felt tippy. Either way the ford was about the same HP as the Kubota but having a loader is a plus and the Kubota with no loaded tires pulls a 3 bottom plow just as nice in 4wd. 2wd it will do it but not when the ground is very dry it will stop that tractor dead.

 

[Aquamoose]

That lever that engages 4wd? It’s called a “sphincter reliever”. Works wonders.

 

[TimP]

I previously had had a B2150 and I used 4WD 1/2 of the time.

But with my B3000, I find I use it (need it) 90% of the time.

Even cutting grass in 2WD I find I would spin the rear wheels and tear up the grass when trying to back up, unless I really ease into reverse.

In 4WD the tractor seems to grab right away and doesn't spin the rear wheels.

How about the rest of you? Do you use 4WD "most" of the time, or only when you feel you really need it?